The Sun. — London, England, 1818-01-17 00:00:00

OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC QUESTION. yoa THE sUN. PART HI. Air. EDITOR,--A Reverend Prelate, in a debate of this stiblect, quoted a passage from the Com- . mentaries of Sir -Wtt.t..tANt BLACKSTONE ; but mistook its ap.Aication, That elegant Compiler, speaking, in his Fourth Book, of the Isornau Ca tholics, said, before the amendment of the law against them; " the time migi►t pot be very dis;ant . 1i it might be wise to repeal i 4 1 I re- striction respectila THEIR RELIGION '' at lea3t " until their civir,cooduct should mAe it neces sary to revive them." This superior Writer does not say, that it mig.hthe wise to repeal all re- Stricrions against their admission into Civil, Mal lory, and Nasal Offices of trust and power. The re;irietioris in respect to their RELIGION were af ter Narth removed by Parliament, and the Learned Judge spake with a prophetic spirit ; yet now, with a dropsical thirst, they pant for Civil Power.— Dlore wants more . .! Is not this like a pining lover, who.. to win his mistress, sheds a crocodilian tear ; and when she yields on dishonourable terms, •is nn sooner possessed than- expelled Their thirst for power-is inconsistent. The• Protestant .Church is part of the Constitution ; and while they are its enemies they are unworthy of political cenfidence, as are any other set of men, except those who are friendly to both. If a National Church be necessary, their admittance would be H gross contradiction ; uuless indeed such, or any other Church be deemed uselesi lumber, and their members be regardless of all Churches whatso ever. If also this be the opinion of the Roman . Catholics, why do they not renounce the Pope. the Devil, and all their works They would then be K ennine Members of the State ; but un til they 're so, their admittance into Civil Power would breed confusion, and Protestants and Pa.. pisrs would not cordially co-operate, but divide, and engender animosity. At all events, it is to be feared, and ought- to be avoided, in a Protes tant Kingdom. Another Gentleman, worthy and learned in the law, a Roman Catholic, whose zeal outran its bias, in his Address to the English Protestants, makes the Papists complain of the Corporation and Test Acts; whereby they are kept out of Civil, Military, and Naval employ; but he pur posely and designedly overlooks their •conduct, which obliged the Legislature to pass them, and an uninformed Reader may thence conclude,_ that they were marked ourand separated from Protes; tent subjects for their religion only. No such thing. The tyranny of papal authority, with all •its pious frauds, bath been already shewn as they were practised before the Reformation, and of papal malignity ever since. Their religions tenets are slavish, and the abhorrence of Britons, borne, bred up, and living in freedom. However s o ftened by time, and ripened into a taste of li berty, they nosy no be, however wise it was to tolerate all.forms of religion distinct from the established, the English Government' cannot re ceive the tender of their service in the army or nary. Religious faith, as it influences actions, foments hatred and ill will among those who hold conflicting opinions ; and liberal minded, as many Rowan Catholics may be, they adore a Pope, though a mere man, and bend most abjectly to Isis dominion ; which is so repugnant to the spirit of a free people, that to give them a share of power, .svould he opening the gates to the enemy, without a surrender on honourable conditions, or letting in another wooden horse for the destruction of another Troy. The Gentleman premised, admits that the Roman Catholics acknowledge the spiritual supre macy of the PoPE, and so far they enjoy a natu ral right ; but English Protestants -deny and ab jorc it. "[bey only acknowledge it in the Cnow Is; ; Hot in a Pope, a Bishop, or a Presbyter, hid) with them would savor of idolatry; and an amalgamation 'of them might produce corn buvion, that would end in explosion. Two so- • pl'emacies in religiOn, under one free Government, can never he agreeable to a mixture of votaries in the King's service, who separately acknowledge them, and a Protestant Prince, who is sworn to protect the National Church, might be perplexed with Roman Catholic servants, who preferring a Pope and a Maii to the religion of the State, would be at continued variance with Churchmen, in contempt of his Mitre, and perhaps his Crown. The Protestant Dissenters, on the contrary, are friends to civil liberty. Their conduct alone slid not bring forth the restraining Laws against the ItomAn Catholics. No ; they drew the Dissenters in 0 their vortex. The faith of Roman Catho lics is against a ProtesTant Government ; the reli glow; scruples of the Dissenters regard the Esta- Hished Church. They are therefore less ex •e:ptionable, as they admit the spirilual and tem poral supremacy of the CrOwn, and only separate trOnt the Ch - urch on a diffcrenc shout its forms, riles, at ceremonies ; and about its governmen t.] lii,liops; instead of I'i esbyters, and its inde pci4Jeitcy on the State. (To be Continued in Part IV.) LITERARY REVIEW. SHAKSPEARE AND HIS TIMES: including the Biogra phy of that-Poet= Criticisms on his tienins ; a New Chro nolsgy of his Plays; a Disquisition on the Object of his Sonnets; and a History of the Manners, Customs, &c. &c. of his Age. By NATHAN DRAKE, M. D. Author of " Li terary Hours," and of " Essays on Periodical - Literature." Two Vols. 4to. Iti 17. Canr.m. and amts. • The tenth chapter of Dr. D.'s First Part re sumes the Biography of SHAKSPEARE, and conti nues it till his removal to London. The anec dotes preserve(' within this period are few and un important ; they relate chiefly to the Poet's sup posed offences against Sir THuMAS LUCY, and his Satires upon him. The consequences of which, combined with the embarrassed circumstances of his father, seem to have occasioned his migration to the Metropolis. Part 11., therefore, which is entitled " SHAKsPEARE in London," presents us with the most important portion of the Author's life. SHAKSPEARE was,, at this time, about 22 years of age, which was in the year 1586 ; and four chapters of this part complete the first volume.— These ate emplOyed in a view of the Bard's cir cumstances, Bird qualification's ; his probable studies, and the state of Miscellaneous Poetry at this period. The, latter subject, which occupies the fourth chapter, i 3 illustrated by a most lumi nous view of the Poets of the time. Forty of these Authors, of primary celebrity and merit, are here reviewed in an alphahetical arrangement, from BEAUMONT (Sir Jons) to WOTTON, and such an account is given of each, as must instruct the uninformed, and satisfy the experienced reader. The Author shews, in every instance, an acute and discriminating judgment on the merits of the Writers ; and his decisions are such as may be safely received with reliance. To give a spe cimen from these characters would occupy too much of our space, but our Readers may rely upon our word, that in consulting tbem they will find both pleasure-and advantage. These larger accounts are followed by an al phabetical list of one hundred and ninety-three more Poets, of whom very few arise even one degree above medioCrity. Their comparative merit in the scale, Dr. D. has pointed out by a technical, mark, which conveys his opinion on mere inspection. This list is followed by an ac count of the,Miscellaneous Collections of Poetry, •published within the same period. The whole of this fourth chapter tends to give a clear and judi cious view of Poetry and Poets in the time of SHAKSPEARE ; and will forma perfect introduction to every person who may wish to enter upon that inquiry. The second volume introduces us to matters of still higher interest ; for here we come to the consideration of . SHAKSPEARE'S own Poems ; on which no man has ever thrown half so much light as Dr. DRAKE. His estimate of them is not the result of an enthusiastic partiality, but of sound judgment and good taste ; by the aid of which he has boldly and successfully combated the errors of some of our most favoured Critics. He begins with a viev.' of the Poet's first, most steady, and best patron, the Earl of SOUTHAMPTON, to whom, with tire most ardent gratitude, he dedicated his earliest Poem, the Venus and Adonis. After re marks, in excellent taste, on that and the Torquin and Lucrece, Dr. DRAKE proceeds to the Sonnets, which he not only illustrates by a new hypothesis respecting their design, but vindicates, most ably and clearly, from the unjust depreciation which they had suffered from the caprice of Mr. STEE. VENS. It is made perfectly clear, that the be loved person, whom, with a kind of equivocal adoration, the Poet addresses and celebrates in the majority of the Sonnets, w a s un d ou b te dly t h e E ar l of SOUTHAMPTON. The language of love adopted in them is clearly shewn to be no other than the fashionable language of friendship at that period ; a language adopted by SHAKSPEARE even in his prose addresses to tire same Nobleman. It will hardly be credited, by those who now examine the Sonnets of SHAKSPEARR with an unbiassed mind, or peruse the just remarks of Dr. DRAKE upon them, that a man so acute and ingenious as Afr.STZEVENS could be so completely blind to their merit, as he has proved himself by his expressions on the subject. He has asserted, " That these Sonnets are composed in the highest strain of affectation, pedantry, circumlo cution, and nonsense ;" a picture which Mr. MA LONE only ventures to soften, by saying, that it appears to him " overcharged," and by other apo logies, equally invalid. Dr. DRAKE, on the con trary, meets the question properly, by charging all of affectation and pedantry that is really in them, to the universal fashion of the age ; by confessing the charge of " circumlocution," but accounting for it; and by positively denying, as well he may, the accusation of " nonsense." He then shows, by a great abundance of examples, (lie melody, perspicuity, spirit,. anctoriginal beau ty of a majority of these Sonnets ; nor is it pos sible for any Reader of taste to peruse these spe cimens, without full conviction, both of the strange prejudice of Mr. STEEVENs, and of the ex alted merit of the Poet. As we cannot go into the variety of our Author's illustration?, we shall content ourselves with a single specimen ; but one in itself decisive. It is the 29th Sonnet : " When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself, and curse my fate ; Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd, Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope, With what I most enjoy contented least : 'Yet in these thoughts, myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee,—and then my state, Like to the lark at. break of day arising From sullen earth, 'sings hymns at Heaven's gate : For thy sweet love remember'd, such wealth brings, That then I scorn to change my state with Kings." On the whole, we are fully prepared to agree with this very judicious Critic, in the general cha racter of SHAKSPEARE'S minor Poems, with which he concludes this ,Fifth Chapter of his Second Part ; opposite as it is to the fashionable authority of Mr. STEEVENS. " That the Poems of SLIAKPEARE, although they are chargeable with the faults peculiar to the age in which they sprung, yet exhibit so much originality, invention, and fidelity to nature, such a rich store of moral and philOsaphic thought, and often such a purity, simplicity, and grace of style, as not only deservedly placed them high in the favour of his contemporaries, but will per manently secure to them no inconsiderable share of the admiration and the gratitude of posteri ty."—Vol. iI. p. 86. • [r. be Continued.] FOR THE SUN. MR. EDTTOR,—llaving noticed a paragraph in The Observer of last Sunday, giving a very partial and unfair statement of an occurrence which took place in September last, eoidently published with cr: view of prejudicing the public mind against the Offi cers and men employed on this part of the coast, for the protection of the Revenue,-1 have thought it but justice to make very particular enquiry into the circumstances alluded to ; and the following statement may be relied upon ; and which 1 send with my wish that it may -be subtUitted to the public through your excellent Print, in order to do, away impressions probably excited by the para, graph in question; injurious to the Naval Officers and their people. On the evening of the 22d of September last, a man belonging to the party stationed at one of the Forts, north of the town of Deal, for the pre vention- of smuggling, was passing near the "Good Intent," a public-house situate near the beach, close to Sandown Castle, when-he observ ed a number of smugglers, armed with clubs, &c., and one of them carrying a musket, running down to the water side, to a boat which had that mo ment landed. Supposing some smuggling trans action was going on, he followed them ; but being unarmed, andreceiving a blow from one . of the smug glers, and considering it in vain to Offer resistance to so many, he retired to a short distance, and ob served the smugglers carrying up kegs from the boat into (as he supposed) the " Good Intent." He then made all possible haste to the nearest Fort, and reported the circumstance to his Com manding.officer the Lieutenant of Marines, who proceeded with his party to the public house, where a number of persons had assembled. He then directed a guard not to permit any thing to be taken out of the house, until lie returned with. a legal warrant to search it. On application to one rf the Magistrates of the County, that 'gentlem a n im mediately filled up a warrant; but on questioning the Officer, it was found, that although the Pub‘ lic-houie is some disiance front the town, it was within its jurisdiction, and not that of the County: this warrant, therefore, could not justify a search. He then directed the Officer to apply to the Mayor of Deal, Mr. laouLDEN, which he immediately did, hut he net only refused his warrant, but threat ened to commit the Officer to prison, saying he wes drunk, but which was not the fact. The Officer was then compelled to apply to other Magistrates of Deal, not one of whom would grant the warrant, and he returned to the public-house without it, when he found that the Serjeant, owing to a mis take in the exectition of' his orders, bad certainly stopped two or three persons, who had been there "on business," there being every reason to think that this " Good Intent " public-house is situate very conveniently for the accommodation of persons engaged in the " fair trade." To these persons the Officer instantly expressed his sorrow for their detention, owing to the Serjeant's mistake, and to the delay and loss of time be experienced in his applications to the several Magistrates for the war-. rant, and with this explanation the partici expressed their satisfaction. The Mayor, however come plained a few days after to the Lords Commis' sioners of the Admiralty, who directed an enquiry into the affair, and, it is understood, gave the nee cessary directions to prevent similar inconvenience tor the future. After this plain narrative of facts, a few clues= tions naturally arise out of it, the answers to which must evidently prove the propriety of tbe . Legislature or the Government interfering,.tn save the Revenue from injury, which it must and will receive, if things are suffered to proceed as they have done in this neighbourhood ; and being my.- self an importer of articles on which I pay consia derable duties, the loss I sustain thereby is enord. mous, because I cannot come in competition witb the fair traders, importing the same ineraandize duty free. The questions . I propose are, Was it the duty of the Mayor of Deal to grant the warrant required by this Officer, on his info.. 'nation given' on oath, being perfectly sober, .0a treating him with due respect ?—Most undoubtedly, in my opinion, it was his duty to grant the warrant. If any objection arose as to the hour of grant• ing warrant (being in the evening), the answer is, that any delay would aford the smugglers time to remove the goods. Wity did not the Magistrate who was first 21" plied to, also refuse his warrant on the like ground? —Because he no doubt considered it his duty to gra"t it, and that delay would defeat the ends of justice , thinking as a Kentish Gentleman should. To whom does the Good Intent public •house be" long p--To the principal Brewer in Deal, who is the proprietor of several others ; and had the ws" rant of the Mayor been issued when it was a pplied for, oft oath, and the smuggled spirits found- 4 1 that house, it would have become the duty of that Magistrate to deprive it of its licence. Who is this Brewer ?—Tke Mayor of Deal! I I and Representative of the Honourable East la' dia Company at am, Sir Your most obedient humble Servant, 'A REAL FAIR TRADER/ and Freeman of the ancient Town am' Port of Sandwich. Sandwich, Jan. IS, 1815 • THEATRICAL REGISTER. Performed Last Night, • THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.—Lilliput. After which, Ili ° Children in the Wood : Walter. Mr. H. Johnston; Lad/ Helen, Mrs. Brereton. To which was added, Itarlequili • ' Vision. THEATRE ROYAL,: COVENT-GARDEN.---RetribUtiOn : Yaraffeh 'Mr. Young; Zimra, Miss' O'Neill. Alter which, quip Gulliver. • MAILS. • Anatvtn--;l'Dublin,- 2 Waterford, 1 Lisb on . Wr . terford, 1 Guernsey and Jersey, I Holland, 4 Gottrub4l4" I Malta, 2 France, 1 Flanders, 3 Hantburgis. PRICE .0 THIS DAY• AT V Bank Stock ....200 8 per Cent. Red . SI 3 per Cent. Cons 804 i 4 per Cents.... 98 ii 5 per Cent. NavyAnn..los4i Bank L. Ann 2O/ STOCKS r EINE WC LcCK. - imperial 3 per Cott. Atan.l 4 India Stock 4l India Bunds.:.. 1083. 104 s• P r ' Exch. Bills l3s. ifts• 'P 3 r i Cons. for ACC:OIIId.... • • • 833. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE To .moßßovv.-, merui,, F , 14 Initiates after 11. Evening, 37 minute's after is° THE SUN. 80,LEM QUIS DICERE FALSUM A tIOLIAT ? LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY , 17, 1818. We have again to announce the non-arrival of Paris Papers. Three days' Journals are due. The following is an Extract of a Letter dated Havannah, Nov. 16, 1817, received this day :-"" " Accounts reached this city yesterday of a severc battle having been fought between Vera Cruz and Mexico, the Indepeiedents victorious. Tsvel' t i King's Officers have fallen, who were natives Of thiS city. The La Pique frigate returned . frosl hence to Jamaica this day, without obtaining from this Government the property taken on board tho ship Tay, which she came for." THE Fusos.—Consols, which settle next Toe" day,live advanced this morning to 82k, and the market looks brisk. The effect of the late de" pression is now supposed to be over, and the me' riied men calculate upon Consols settling at about 83. The Party discussions which have been foundea on the work of the late Bishop of LANDAFF, must give offence to every friend to good morals and religion. The departed Bishop has on one side been held forth as the mirror of political wisdom and integrity ; and on the other, his talents have been treated with contempt, his motives impeached, and his memory reviled. It is quite shocking to the character of the dead thus attacked, and to the feelings of his fa' mily thus outraged. That his work is amusing , that he was an intelligent Observer of man' kind, and thitt in general his accounts of the events which passed in his time, and the charac' I 1 ' 1 1 o